Ship-railway.



YATENTBD JUNE z3,y 190s.

0. PHILIPP. SHIP RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22. 1902.

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No. 731,945. PATBNTBD JUNE 23, 1903. 0. PHILIP?.

SHIP RAILWAY.

APPLIOATION FILED sEPT. 22. 1902. No MODEL. s SHEETS-slum z.

PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

0. PHILIPP. SHIP RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED 821112.22. 1902. No MODEL. s SHEETS-snm s.

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PATENT OEEICE.

OTTO PHILIPP, OF KTHEN, GERMANY.

SHIP-RAILWAY.

:SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,945, dated J une 23, 1903. Application filed September Z2, 1902. Serial No. 124,364. (No model.)

To nti/Z whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO PHILIPP, a citizen of the Empire of Germany,residing in Kthen, in the Empire of Germany,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ship- Railways, of which the following is a specification.

For transporting ships from one body of water to another across a separating-piece of land or isthmus ship-railways extending from shore to shore have been proposed heretofore, the ship being transferred to a cradle of sufficient size which is drawn by power over a series of parallel tracks. In place of the` cradle a tank-cradle was proposed, which was supported on tracks and carried with the ship across the separating-piece of land or isth m us.

The main objections to the ship-railway in which the ship is transferred to and supported in a cradle, such as proposed by the late Oap tain Eads, were that it was too expensive and that it was liable to strain the vessels while in transit, owinglto the vibrations ofthe cradle. Transportation of vessels in a tank-cradle, however, was employed on a smaller scale and with some success.

The object of this invention is to construct a portable tank-cradle for transpbrting ships of any size across a separating-piece of land in such a manner that the tank-cradle is always held in stable equilibrium regardless of any unevennessl of the tracks over which the same has to be moved, so that the tilting of the cradle is absolutely prevented.

For this purpose the invention consists of a tank-cradle in which in place of hydraulically-cushioned trucks on which the tank-cradle is supported pneumatically cushioned trucks and pedestals are substituted for carrying the supporting-frame of the tank-cradle. The pneumatically cushioned trucks and pedestals are connected by independent pipes with a suitable source of compressed air, so that a stable equilibrium is imparted to the tank-cradle. The pedestals are supported on the trucks by means of a saddle and pendent universally-jointed rods which connect the saddles with the truck-frames. The power for moving the tank-cradle is transmitted to the truck-axles, as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a perspective view of my improved ship-railway, showing a man-of-war in the tank-cradle of the same. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cradle, drawn on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section showing a number of pneumatically-cushioned trucks and pedestals and the power-transmitting width, and depth corresponding to the largest size of vessel to be transferred across a piece of land separating lakes, canal-sections, or other bodies of water. The tank-cradleA is provided at the ends with inwardly-folding gates B, which are together closed by pneuinatical means in any approved manner, so as to hold the water in the cradle. The gates B are opened and closed by a suitably-operated pneumatic mechanism, to which power is transmitted from a central pneumatic source of power located in cabs C at one or both sides of the supporting-framework F of the cradle. The bottom of the tank-cradle A rests on the supporting-frame F, which consists of longitudinal I-beams B and trans# Verse braces C. The transverse braces C are supported on pedcstals P, each pedestal being supported on a four-wheeled truckT. Each pedestal P is constructed of a cylinder D, the head D of which is attached to 011e of the transverse braces C. The cylinder D is closed by the head D' at the upper end and open at the lower end, which latter is provided with an annular inwardly-projecting rim d. Compressed air is conducted into the upper part of the cylinder D by a supplypipe f, which is connected with a reservoir containing compressed air, said reservoir being located in the cab or cabs supported at one or both sides on the cradle-supporting frame. In each cylinder D is arranged a ringshaped piston E, which encircles a plunger- IOO piston E', said plunger-piston beingl hollow and provided at its lower part with an eXterior shoulder e, that engages the encircling piston E, so as to raise the same. The ringshaped piston E is provided with a suitable packing-ring at its upper end, so as to prevent theescape ofair from the cylinder D.

- The lower end or shank of the plunger-piston As many pneumatically-cushioned trucksl aud pedestals are provided as are required for the size of the cradle and the weight of the water impounded therein. The trucks T are connected laterally by steadying struts and braces fn, while the axles of each row of trucks are coupled to intermediate shafts, as shown in Fig. 3, to which power is transmitted from suitable motor-engines which are placed in the cabs supported on the framework of the cradle. As many railway-tracks I as there are trucks in each row are arranged on a suitable road-bed I for the entire distance over which the ship is to be carried by the cradle. 'Ihe road-bed and the tracks are constructed in the same manner as ordinary railway-tracks.

The track declines at each end into a harbor or slip to a depth sufficient to permit the proper submerging of the cradle, so that the ship can readily enter the cradle and leave the same before and after being transported.

The operation of my improved ship-railway while in transit is as follows: The ship to be transported is conducted from the lake, canal, or other body of waterinto the harbor and transferred into the cradle, which is located at a sufficient depth in the harbor to receive theship by opening the gates at the ingoing ends. After the vessel has been transferred into the cradle the gates are tightly closed, so as to impound the body of water in the cradle. The cradle is provided at its sides with pneumaticallyactuated chockpieces, (shown in Fig. 3,) so as to hold the ship in position in the cradle.v Motion is then imparted to the trucks and the ship transported with the cradle over the track until it arrives at the point of destination, when it is again transferred in reverse order to an enlarged slip or harbor for transmission to the lake, canal, or other body of water.` The pressure in the cylinders of the pedestals and the cross-section of the plunger-pistons E have to be so proportioned that only two- Y thirds of the normal weight which is intended to be carried by each pedestal is transferred to the plunger-piston. Consequently the saddle of the truck will never receive more pressure than two-thirds of the normal weight, even if there should bea sudden unevenness l in the tracks over which the trucks are moved.

The cross-sectional area of the ring-shaped piston is equal to the area of the plunger-pistou. When the plunger-pistons are forced up more or less into the cylindersof the pedestals, the ring-shaped pistons are carried along bythe shoulders at their lower parts, so that the pressure on the saddle is twice times two-thirds, or four-thirds, of the normal weight. The saddle can never receive more than this weight even if there should be a sudden unevenuess or rise in the track. Ordinarily 'the plunger-pistons assume the position shown in Fig. 4, but beyond that they cannot be moved, at least not in a larger number, at the same time, neither can the plunger-,pistons be forced in in a larger number on one side or the other of the cradle, as they would be immediately resisted with double the power, so that consequently the cradle isalways in stable equilibrium, whereby' the shifting of the body of water and the tilting of the cradle are positively prevented.

rThe connection of the cylinders by their pipes with the reservoir for the compressed air in the cabs is produced by means of anarrangemen t of valves and levers. (Illustrated in Fig. 5.) By the valve arrangement shown any supply-pipe can be instantly cut out in case the same should not function properly. In connection with the air-supply pipes valves and levers for operating the same, gages for indicating the pressure in the different cylinders, and other accessories are arranged in the cabs.

Motion is transmitted in any suitable manner from the motor-engines in the cabs by suitable shafts and gear-wheels to the shafts and axles of each transverse row of trucks, so that the cradle is moved slowly and evenly over the tracks.

The advantages of my improved ship-railway are that the same can be used in place of a number of expensive lifting-locks where there is difficulty in obtaining the quantity of water necessary for supplying the same. The grade of the tracks has to be so adjusted that only on ascending grades power is employed for moving the cradles, while on descending grades a slight retarding or brake action is sufficient without the application of any power. The passage from one grade to the other is readily accomplished by the adjustability of the saddles `and trucks to changes in the tracks. It has been ascertained by computation that for transporting a cradle and a large-sized armored cruiser about one thousand trucks and pedestals and the necessary accessories are required, or about one truck for every five square meters of the bottom surface of the cradle, each truck carrying ifty tons, so that each wheel of thetruck has to support a weight of twelve and one-half tons, which weight can be readily sustained by every ordinary railway-track.

Having thus described my invention, I

IIO

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a ship-railway, the combination of a tank-cradle, a framework for the same, pedestals on said framework, trucks for supporting said cradle, and pneumatic cushioning devices between said pedestals and trucks, substantially as set forth.

2. In a ship-railway, the combination, of a tank-cradle, a framework for the same, pedestals carried on said framework, pneumatic cushioning devices in said pedestals, trucks connected with said pneumatic cushioning devices for yieldingly supporting said cradle, means for supplying compressed air to the interior of said pedestals, substantially as set forth.

3. In a ship-railway, the combination, ot' a tank-cradle, a framework for the same, pedestals attached to the framework, pneumatic cushioning devices in said pedestals, truckframes connected with saidcushioning devices, saddles supported from said truckframes, pendent rods having universal-joint connections with said truck-frames and saddles, and universal-joint connections between said cushioning devices and truck-frames, substantially as set forth.

4. In a ship-railway, the combination, with a cradle having gates at both ends, of a supporting-framework for said cradle, pneumatic cylinders supporting said framework, ringshaped pistons in said cylinders, plunger pistons in said ring-shaped pistons, said plungerpistons being arranged to carry along the ring-shaped pistons, trucks for supporting the plunger-pistons, saddles suspended from pendent hanger rods of the truckframe, and bearings on said saddles for the lower ends of the plunger-pistons, substantially as set forth.

5. In a ship-railway, the combination, with a tank-cradle provided with gates at both ends, of a supporting-frame for said cradle, pneumatic cylinders on said frame, said cylinders having annular shoulders at theirlower ends, ring-shaped pistons in said cylinders, plunger-pistons guided in said ring-shaped pistons and having shoulders at their lower ends, truck-frames below said pneumatic cylinders, saddles suspended by pendent hangerrods from the truck-frames for supporting the lower ends of the plunger-pistons, and universal joints between the lower ends ofthe plunger-pistons, hanger-rods and saddles, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres ence of two subscribing Witnesses.

orTo PrnLiPP.

WVitnesses;

PAUL GOEPEL, HENRY J. SUHRBIER. 

